How to send money from Italy to Egypt (without visiting a bank)

Italy has one of the largest Egyptian diaspora communities in Europe. Whether you are sending money to family in Cairo, supporting someone through a large expense, or making a regular remittance, the number of ways to move EUR to EGP has grown considerably. The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive options is also considerable. Traditional banks worldwide still struggle to manage international payments, and banks in Italy and Egypt are no exception. Besides the cost and delay, the stress of visiting a physical banking hall is quite unnecessary.

Various options help people send money from Italy to Egypt without setting foot in a bank. This article covers the main ways to send money from Italy to Egypt entirely online, how each one works, and the cost.

Wise

Wise applies the mid-market rate on currency conversions and charges a clearly displayed fee before you confirm the transfer. For EUR to EGP, the fee typically ranges from 0.4% to 0.8% of the transfer amount, depending on the payment method used. . Wise offers EUR accounts and transactions don’t go through the full SWIFT route that incurs more fees. This reduces payment delay and avoids losing money to intermediary bank fees.

Key things to know about Wise for this transfer:

• The exact EGP amount the recipient will receive is shown before you confirm. No surprises after the fact.
• Payment can be made via bank transfer from an Italian bank account or via card.
• Processing is typically within one business day, and in many cases, the same day for transfers initiated in the morning.
• Wise is available via its website and iOS and Android apps.
• The account is free to open and requires standard identity verification.

Revolut

Revolut has been consistently among the cheapest options for bank account transfers on this corridor in recent comparisons. On weekdays, Revolut charges no additional currency conversion fees on conversions within the account's fair usage limit, meaning the conversion cost on a standard plan is absorbed by the platform up to a monthly threshold. Above that threshold, or on weekends, a conversion fee applies.

How it works:

• You add EUR to your Revolut account via bank transfer, card, or other payment methods.
• You select Egypt as the destination and enter the recipient's bank account details.
• Revolut converts EUR to EGP at its exchange rate and initiates the transfer.
• Bank transfers to Egypt typically arrive within one business day.

You should note that there is a  fair usage limit on weekday conversions with no fees:

• Standard: £1,000/month (1% fee thereafter).
• Plus: £3,000/month (0.5% fee thereafter).
• Premium/Metal/Ultra: Unlimited.

Revolut is available to Italian residents via its website and app. Account opening requires identity verification and takes a few minutes.

Also read: What Egypt’s currency controls mean for international payments

Remitly

Remitly supports transfers from Italy to Egypt and offers two delivery speed options with different pricing structures.

• Economy transfers: lower fees, and transactions are usually completed within three to five business days.
• Express transfers: more expensive but faster, typically within minutes to a few hours.

Remitly generally offers low fees, and new users get a discount rate on their first transfer

Payment methods available for Italian senders include bank transfer, debit card, and credit card. The app is user-friendly with layers of security to protect your transactions. There is a recipient tracking feature that lets both the sender and the recipient monitor when funds have arrived.

Also read: How to send money from China to Egypt online

Profee

Profee offers free card-to-card transfers from Italy to Egypt. Users can send money with a Visa or Mastercard card in Italy to a Visa or Mastercard card in Egypt. Hence, it requires the recipient to have a bank-issued card rather than just an account number. The first transfer is free for new users.

To send money with Profee

• Sign up on Profee by providing your mobile number and personal details.
• Choose "Italy" as the sending country and "Egypt" as the destination.
• Enter the amount: Once you type in an amount in EUR to see the current exchange rate and any applicable fees.
• Enter the recipient's full name and their payout information.
• Pay for your transfer using one of the following methods:
  • Visa or Mastercard
  • Apple Pay or Google Pay
  • SEPA Bank Transfer
  • Klarna or Sofort
• Confirm: Review the details and enter your bank's confirmation code to authorise the payment.

Recipients in Egypt can receive the payment through:

• Bank accounts: Direct transfer to most Egyptian banks.
• Mobile wallets: Including Vodafone Cash, Orange Cash, Etisalat Cash, and WE.
• Meeza cards: Direct transfer to Meeza-branded cards

Grey

Grey provides virtual EUR accounts alongside USD and GBP for recipients in Egypt, allowing you to receive from European clients via SEPA, hold the balance in EUR, and convert at a mid-market rate with 1% conversion fee (capped at $6). It cost 0.5% (minimum of €2 and maximum of €10).

Grey is a secure payment platform regulated by FinCEN (US) and FINTRAC (Canada) to protect your funds and data.

To send money from Italy to Egypt without visiting the bank:

• Open the Grey app and verify your account.
• Add EUR funds or use your existing balance.
• Go to “Send money” and select your EUR balance
• Choose “Send via bank transfer” to Egypt.
• Enter the recipient’s full name and Egyptian bank details (bank name, branch code, account number).
• Confirm transaction

Transactions are typically completed within hours to a day.

Also read: How to get an instant USD debit card in Egypt

WorldRemit

WorldRemit supports EUR-to-EGP transfers from Italy to Egyptian bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash pickup locations. It offers 3 free transfers for new users; thereafter, the fees and exchange rate margins are better than those of traditional banks. On average, it takes about one to two business days for transactions to be completed.

How the options compare

Lets say you are sending €1,000 to a family member in Egypt. This is what the experience will look like with  these platforms

Managing international transactions with Grey

Whether you are settling bills in Egypt from Italy, sending money home, or paying someone, a wire transfer using traditional banks might not be the best plan. International wire transfer fees are high, the exchange rates are unfavourable, and the delays can be unbearable.

With Grey‘s multicurrency accounts, you can manage EUR, GBP, and USD in one place and at affordable rates. Conversions are at competitive rates, and transactions are swift. Grey cards offer you more financial freedom to spend across countries and currencies. With Visa cards that take directly from your multicurrency balance, you can easily settle online subscriptions and purchases by linking with your Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Grey is tailors to simplify your Italy-to-Egypt payments and a low costs. Sign up on Grey and download the app to get started.

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